He selected two of Grieg's songs and invited her to the piano. He
knew instantly that the Norwegian's delicate fancy and lyrical
feeling had found in her no inadequate medium of expression. The
peculiar emotional quality of the song "I Love Thee" seemed to
fill the room as she played. When she swung round on the stool at
its conclusion it was to meet a shining-eyed, musical enthusiast
instead of the villain she had left five minutes earlier.
"Y'u CAN play," was all he said, but the manner of it spoke
volumes.
For nearly an hour he kept her at the piano, and when at last he
let her stop playing he seemed a man transformed.
"You have given me a great pleasure, a very great pleasure, Miss
Messiter," he thanked her warmly, his Western idiom sloughed with
his villainy for the moment. "It has been a good many months
since I have heard any decent music. With your permission I shall
come again."
Her hesitation was imperceptible. "Surely, if you wish." She felt
it would be worse than idle to deny the permission she might not
be able to refuse.
With perfect grace he bowed, and as he wheeled away met with a
little shock of remembrance the gaze of his cousin. For a long
moment their eyes bored into each other.
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